Press and Publicity
See also negative numbers for press and on-site photos, John Brown's page (the official still photographer for the movie.), lobby cards. These are the sites for the present distributors: Studio Canal Rialto Pictures Marketing See this excellent look at the marketing materials used - pressbooks/campaign book, posters, trailers, radio spots for British Lion, Warner Brothers and Abraxas distributors: Chance, Chaos, Confusion and the Marketing of The Wicker Man by Linda Hutcheson. (Published in 2011 so before the Final Cut came out.) Movie Trailers/TV spots See the marketing link above for more details on these. British Lion made a trailer. It lasts 2:13. You can see it here. This would be for the "theatrical" version. The only evidence so far of a Warner Brothers trailer is this pic. It appears to be the same as the British Lion trailer although is of poor quality. Also, this from Something Wicker This Way Comes by Stuart Byron: "Warners used the same trailer as was prepared for its second-feature career in England. merely changing the voiceover narration from a British to an American accent." The Warner Brothers pressbook mentions these tv spots: - one :60 - one :30 - one :10 It also mentions two "TV excerpts", both available from WB in Burbank. [https://twm.wikia.com/wiki/File:The_Wicker_Man_(Trailer_2) Abraxas made a tv spot. It is :30. Stirling Smith narrates]. It appears to be the same as the Warner Brothers trailer but is shorter, has rerranged scenes, its own voiceover and is of poor quality. This is probably for the theatrical version too, despite their having made what is now known as The Final Cut. [http://www.rialtopictures.com/trailers/trailers/the-wicker-man-final-cut# The Final Cut trailer.] (Rialto Pictures) This is the same version of the movie as what Abraxas made. Newspaper articles The Galloway Gazette published a few articles both during the shooting and overviews of the whole film later in 1998 and 1999, as well as since then. John McEwan was the photographer in 1972. Nic Outterside, editor in the 90s, has provided some of the information and pictures used here. Photographer Peter Foster helped by keeping various negatives which hopefully might be shared in the future. Olive McDonald also provided many clippings. 25th Anniversary special features ran on 12/4, 12/18 and 12/24/98. Some of the articles and pictures are on this wiki. See this page for some references to the film in other newspapers in the UK, US, Australia and a few other locations. -10/21/72 - Front page, two pics and a blurb. Five Apples for Mr Woodward at Logan Gardens. - Pic of Britt, Diane and Ingrid on the left, pic of Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee walking in Logan on the right. 11/25/72 - Front page: Stranraer Will Get The First Ever Showing Of New Mystery Thriller. with pic of Edward Woodward relaxing fireside at the Cally Hotel. unknown date, 1972 - Monster In Our Midst article with picture. 12/4/98 - Ex:S documentary and soundtrack on Trunk Records. 12/18/98 - When Galloway was turned into a giant movie set. - map showing locations - Wicker Man author back in Galloway - picture of the Mochrum graveyard (then thought to be the site of the orgy) 6/11/99 - Ekland issues a belated apology Posters See the wiki page for that. Also see this link for more details on these. Pressbooks British Lion, Warner Brothers, Abraxas and Summerisle Films had pressbooks. (British Lion's is called a "campaign book".) Pictures of the Warner Brothers pressbook: cover, pages 1 and 2, and 3 and 4. Full version here. Press photo info. Codes used for the various press photos and the descriptions of them. A page from the "Information folder" for the movie. Radio ads See the marketing link above for more details on these. The Warner Brothers pressbook mentions: - one :60 - one :30 They could be obtained from Eugene Gromek of Suski Productions, NYC Abraxas made 14 radio spots, 4 one minute spots and 10 30-second spots. All are narrated by Stirling Smith. Christopher Lee has a voiceover in one. (We know of some others but aren't sure how they fit in.) The Meadowbrook Cinema is in Jackson, MS where it played from Nov 3 - 22 of 1977. The University Cinema is in Baton Rouge, LA. It was not the American premiere there. One minute spots (links to downloadable mp3s) 1: schoolhouse scene, Meadowbroook Cinema 6 2: Howie meets LS scene, Meadowbrook Cinema 6 3: cl quote from below, Meadowbrook Cinema 6 " Christopher Lee voiceover: "I am Lord Summerisle. You say we are barbaric humans. You say our sexual rituals are perverse. You say we committed murder. I say you are fools! I say we know the true way of the greatest gods! I say YOUR sexual practices are deviant. We love the flesh, even as we burn it. Ah, the sweet smell of burning flesh!" 4: university cinema, baton rouge, all talk, rod stewart mentioned, american premiere!? 10 30-second spots Christopher Lee narrates #1 & #2 which appear to be the same. Stirling Smith narrates the others. There is a slight difference in delivery between #7 & #8. There were no Friday the 13th showings in 1977 yet they are mentioned 1- Narrated by Christopher Leel, uses background music, “Miss rose: we believe the soul…”, lead you to a climax, “you are about to commit murder, think what you’re doing” 2 - appears to be the same 3 - “Howie: the truth has withered away”, Stirling Smith narrates , “what kind of mother, final scenes”, meadowbrook cinema 4 - “Hear ye the words of the lord”, Grand Prize Paris, “library scene, final scenes”, Meadowbrook Cinema 5 - “Hear ye the words of the lord”, ss, “I think rowan was murdered”, “final scene”. Meadowbrook Cinema 6 - American premiere at University Cinema, (Baton Rouge, it played there 11/17/77 and maybe before and after those dates), 4/5/77 national enquirer, quote about Rod Stewart, (nothing from movie used) 7 - weird ss effect, there are some places the old gods never died, fri 13, the movie opens (nothing from movie used) 8 - weird effect for Stirling's voice, there are some places the old gods never died, same as above. 9 - weird effect, deeper voice, same as above 10 - weird effect, fri 13, wm waits for you.